1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for filling such contents as cleanser, edible oil, etc., into a container and attaching a closing member on the container.
2. Description of the Background Art
Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open Publication H1-58498 discloses a method of filling, which comprises a step of filling a content into a bottle (container) and a step of fitting a cap (closing member) on the bottle with the content therein.
In the prior art, bottles in a holder are each conveyed on a conveyor, while caps are directly conveyed on a slide chute.
Thus, bottles, conveyed on a conveyor, can be fed at a predetermined conveying speed and in a constant conveying position to a filling unit and also to a cap fitting unit. In other words, the bottles can be fed reliably in a timed relation to the cycle of operation of the filling and cap fitting units. In addition, the bottles can be fed such that they are stable in a predetermined filling position in the filling unit and a predetermined cap fitting position in the cap fitting unit.
In the prior art, however, caps which are fed directly on a sliding chute, are difficult to be fed in a stable condition at a predetermined conveying speed. That is, it is likely that caps become jammed on the chute or that the feeding sequence of the caps to the cap fitting unit is interrupted. Further, the caps can not be reliably conveyed in a predetermined conveying position, and it is difficult to obtain a reliable predetermined fitting position of the caps in the cap fitting unit.